Superhero
by Foxyhound
Summary: There is a villain "Dark Sorcerer", who can kill people merely by uttering a curse. But when his arch-nemisis and superhero "Patriot" asks his alter-ego, regular old Arthur Kirkland, on a date, his whole life is turned upside-down. yaoi/boylove AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Heya guys... I'm kinda nervous. This is my first fic I'll be publishing here and I'm not sure if you'll like it but hopefully you will. This is an idea I've been playing around with for awhile now. The M rating is for later chapters.

This is written in first-person. I tried writing it in third person originally, but it works much better like this. The perspective I've chosen is as though Arthur is writing a private blog at the end of each day, because it seems to work best without him knowing about future events, but also writing in past tense. And writing to an audience. But I ramble.

Please enjoy.

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It wasn't like I had _intended_ to be caught when I broke into the liquor store. However, it ended up leading to a very particular and tricky situation.

All had been calm before I'd made my entrance; with a grand flourish and a threat to curse everyone in that building if they didn't give me all of their money. Of course, I wouldn't of actually cursed them, but my reputation was enough. Everyone knew that if the Dark Sorcerer cursed you, you were dead. "The Dark Sorcerer" being my alter ego, a sort of mask for my crimes, if you will.

They panicked and complied quickly enough, but I didn't care at the time as I believed I had plenty of time. It was around then, when I was walking out with a plastic bag filled with most of the cash in the store, that Patriot arrived.

Handsome, strong, and with fantastic morals, Patriot is the spitting image of a comic-book hero. I always distantly recall a "Captain America" in his presence, but if Patriot's theme of, well, patriotism was copied from said superhero, no one seems to mind. Afterall, he was the city's savior, and the type of bloke everyone liked.

I can't remember _exactly_ what Patriot had said, but it was along the lines of, "Dark Sorcerer! Drop that money and put your hands up!" I hadn't agreed, of course, and instead started running towards the exit. But it didn't take very long for Patriot to catch me, and cover my mouth to prevent me from cursing anyone.

Not that I would _actually _curse anyone, but Patriot didn't know that.

I don't care to admit it, but I was beat up relatively quickly and gagged with a bandanna. As a camera crew arrived to document the event, I was tossed aside with carelessness. Patriot was quickly distracted by all of the attention, and that's when I slipped away. I would've taken the money too, but it was too close to Patriot and too risky to get.

After catching my breath, I removed my costume, to become the British, normal, and proper Arthur Kirkland. It wouldn't be hard to get out of the store looking like this. I'd done it several times before; escaping the scene of the crime by becoming a regular citizen.

Well, I'd thought appeared regular. But I was apparently still interesting enough to catch the attention of another man. He had been walking down the street beside me, casually; apart of the crowd. He turned to me and said,

"Hey! You saw that liquor-store deal, right? Some deal, huh?"

As I glanced at with him, I was met with all too familiar of a face. Blonde hair, and bright blue eyes sparkling with a hint of pride, even if they were unfamiliarly covered by a pair of glasses.. This wasn't just your average citizen, this was most definately Patriot. Trying to blend in with the crowd, yes, but I was surprised no one else recognized him.

His question didn't really register with me at first, but after a moment I answered, "Yes! Some deal!"

At least he didn't know who I was. But the likelyhood of his ignorance decreased with every moment he paid attention to me.

"That Patriot is really something," he commented, and I almost scoffed at his narcissism. But instead I smiled and managed to reply that yes, that Patriot was a fantastic fellow.

He blinked, and chuckled. "Dude, you're way British, aren't you?" I gave him a polite nod.

"Yes, I'm from London."

"It's pretty obvious."

"And?" What was wrong with being obviously British?

"Well, just sayin'." He gave me a cheeky grin, and I increased my pace as to leave his presence. But Patriot is persistant, apparently whether it's fighting crime or continuing conversations. He not only sped up to catch up with me, but he cut me off and stood in front of me. He stuck an eager hand in front of me.

"Name's Alfred. Alfred F Jones."

"What does the F stand for?" I asked, with a sarcastic edge.

He paused. I wonder if he even knew. Finally he answered, "Err, Frrreeeedd. Fred. Alfred Fred Jones."

I didn't question the alliteration he'd made for his own name, and simply nodded.

"What's your name?" he asked me. I sighed.

"Arthur Kirkland."

"Right! I'm calling you Iggy!"

"You may call me Mr. Kirkland," I replied, with an acid tone, and quickly added, "If you ever have the need to use my name again, that is."

"Ah! Well actually," Patriot/Alfred grinned, "I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go to dinner or something tonight."

I froze. Several things ran through my mind. Firstly, if I was to go on a date with him, Patriot would surely discover my identity, and I would definately be in trouble then. Next, I wasn't really that attractive, was I? I mean he'd just met me, well, this street version of me... And lastly, I thought about how odd it was that Patriot was gay. I never really saw him as the type.

I must of taken too long to answer, because he continued talking again, "I mean, in a friendly sort of way, if all you want to be is friends! I mean you seem like a pretty cool guy. We could just hang, yeah. Although that's kinda awkward, I guess, since I already, well..." He rambled on and on and I nodded.

"No, no, I understand," I told him, trying to get him to shut up. "And I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your offer."

Alfred immediately looked hurt, and I felt surprisingly guilty, though he was annoying, my enemy, and whatnot. In fact, he seemed so disappointed that I quickly added, "But I'm free tomorrow night."

And that's how I got a date with my arch-nemisis, the one and only Patriot. Somehow I don't believe this is going to work out well.

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A/N: Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far. Please, if you are confused about anything, feel free to ask. Also, reviews and rating are welcome. If you have anything to critique or something you think is wrong, please also tell me, and I will do my best to fix it.

-Foxyhound


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, they were really appreciated C: There were some really good ones too! I'm glad that a few of you caught the Clark Kent/Superman reference I had going with Alfred and the glasses. I hope you enjoy this chapter x3

* * *

The date didn't end as _badly _as I'd thought. Actually, it went quite nicely, considering the circumstances.

I fussed over my appearance a lot more than I should have, really. Especially since it didn't even change anything in the end, my hair was still a mess and I just looked tired and grumpy. I wore an argyle slip-over over a button down, paired with some rather nice trousers.

Patriot (or Mr. Jones! I must remember to use that name!) picked me around 17:00. 5:00 PM for Americans. I had been anxious at first to give him my address but I supposed the harm was already done.

He was wearing a tee, jeans, and trainers. I felt a bit overdressed. On second thought, he was under dressed.

"Is dinner and a movie alright with you?" Alfred asked, straight away. He adjusted his glasses, and I noticed they didn't even have lenses in them. I pointed this out to him without thinking.

Alfred grinned nervously. "Uh... _yes_. Yes, there aren't any lenses. I just like the way glasses look on me, but my vision is 20/20."

I accepted his excuse, and he asked whether dinner and a movie were fine with me again. I nodded, and he pulled me by the arm towards his car, which was a bright red Corvette. I hissed between my teeth. How did he get that?

The movie he chose was terrible. It was some ghost flick with lousy effects and an even worse story line. Despite this, Alfred (amusingly) seemed terrified the whole movie. The great superhero Patriot, reduced by a quivering mass by cheap CGI?

He even tried to cling to me, but I quickly shoved him off. I did not want my arch-enemy all over me. Going on a date with me was bad enough.

Alfred took me to dinner at some horrid greasy fast-food place. I told him I wasn't hungry, but he insisted I order something. I settled for a salad (which ended up being wilted and managed to be fatty anyway), and he gleefully ordered several hamburgers. Just watching him eat those ended up making me feel more sick than before.

"Shooo..." he asked, "Waf duh ooh funk aboof Pafriod?"

"Have some manners! Swallow your food before you talk! I can't even understand you!" I snapped, distracted. With a sheepish smile, Alfred smiled and swallowed.

"So, Arthur, what do you think about Patriot?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Just curious I guess."

I sighed and tried quickly to think about what to say. "He's nice," I finally answered. "I suppose. Keeps the city safe." After an awkward pause, I questioned, "What do you think about the Dark Sorcerer?"

"He's terrible!" Alfred replied quickly, standing up. He sat back down, and continued, "Err, sorry, I don't know what you think of him... you might one of those weirdos who are all into the villain and what not... but that's cool! That's alright! Just why Dark Socerer?" Alfred leaned closer. "I mean, frankly, he hasn't been in the news since for what, three years? Hasn't pulled off a real heist for five. Dude's lost his touch. I don't even know if he _can_ curse people anymore, to be honest."

"He most certainly can!" I retorted, too quickly. "Or I'm fairly sure he can. How would he just lose that sort of power?"

"Ah, sorry, didn't realize you were a fan..." Alfred looked uncomfortable, and sighed awkwardly. "Well, I don't really like him... sorry."

"It's alright... don't think about it, really. I'm not a fan." I stirred my fork in my half-eaten salad.

He drove me back home, and walked me to my doorstep, where we stood together uncomfortably. Alfred fiddled with his shirt.

"Well, goodnight," he said. I blinked.

"Goodnight." I moved to open the door, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Wait!"

"What is it?"

Alfred shifted, and scratched the back of his head. "Well... You know, I really had fun tonight. Honestly. And I love spending time with you."

I scoffed. He wasn't serious, was he? It had been an awkward, long night. A bit enjoyable, yes, but I'd been stressing about hiding my identity the whole night.

"So," he continued, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out again this weekend? I mean, it's a bit soon, but... I was serious when I said I love spending time with you."

Oh no. He wasn't doing this to me. I groaned inwardly, and forced a smile (which probably looked like a grimace). I weighed the pros and cons. It meant more of a chance for him to discover my identity. It also meant more terrible food and entertainment if he chose where we went again. On the other hand... he was rather attractive. Attractive enough that I would date him again without a second thought if he wasn't Patriot. And I suppose I did enjoy spending time with him...

"Fine," I said, "I would love to go on a date with you again. But only if I take you this time, and I get to choose where we go."

"Fair enough!" Alfred chirped. He was about to leave, but then stopped and looked at me. "And.. there's something I've got to tell you if we're going to continue this relationship..."

"What?" I asked, though I could guess easily enough."

"I know this may shock you... but I'm Patriot." He pulled off his glasses and looked at me seriously.

I tried to ask surprised. "Oh my god! Are you serious? Ummm... yes! Without the glasses, I can see it. You _are _Patriot." Now I was trying to act impressed.

He flashed me a grin and nodded. "It's true. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier... I just had to be sure I could trust you. I can trust you, right? You won't tell anyone?"

"Of-of course not!" I sputtered. "No one will know but me! I promise!"

"Good." Alfred sounded relieved, then hugged me tightly. "I'll see you this weekend then!" I swear he practically skipped back to his car, as I entered my home.

So I might have to hold up a couple blokes to get the money for this date on the weekend, but I admit I am looking forward to it. He seems to be ignorant enough for me to pull this off. And I suppose it could give me an advantage over him when we are fighting...

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A/N: Thank you for reading! Next chapter things start getting interesting and we start seeing a few of the other characters... hehe. Again, thank you!

-Foxyhound


	3. Chapter 3

I knew nothing good would come of this.

Alfred called me in the morning. "Heya Iggy. I'm sorry I can't make it to our date tonight," he said, sadly, "Something big has come up and they need my help... well, they need Patriot's help."

"Don't call me Iggy, and mmmhmm, that's alright," I replied, nodding even though he couldn't see it. Where did he even get that nickname? Iggy? Honestly?

Alfred sounded really disappointed. "_Arthur_, I'm so sorry. Maybe tomorrow?"

"No, don't apologize, it's your fault and people need you. Honestly, I'm fine. Maybe tomorrow."

"Okay! Well I'll talk to you tomorrow! I have to go now, sorry!" His words were rushed and he hung up; I assumed there was probably some crime going on somewhere. I also noted how often he'd apologized, and gave an amused smile.

I set down the phone and wandered over to a pair of tickets. They were from a fancy performance, and I'd paid a lot of money for them (probably more money than Alfred had paid for our entire first day). I called the theatre, but I couldn't get a refund or anything. I then tried calling a couple friends, but no one could really make it.

So I just went on my own. Even if I couldn't use one of the tickets, no point in wasting one perfectly nice evening. I was used to being alone anyway. And if I _had_ brought Alfred, he probably would have fallen asleep or something to that effect. I'm sure he doesn't have a taste for the fine arts.

The show was about ready to start, when a tall figure approached the empty seat next to me, that had been in theory, Alfred's seat.

He spoke in a thick Russian accent. "May I have this seat?" he asked, "Mine is further back and I can't get a good view of the stage."

"Of course, go ahead, no one's sitting there," I told him. I recognized him. Ivan the Terrible, the supervillian. Known for being extraordinarily cruel. He and his gang had plagued the city for years. The frightening thing was that he didn't even have any super powers like most of us heroes and villains did, he found his strength in sheer terror.

But apparently he also enjoyed a good performance. He smiled at all the appropriate times, laughed, and was a very polite audience member. At the intermission, Ivan turned to me and said,

"It is very good so far, da? Wouldn't you agree, _Dark Sorcerer?_"

I managed to smile and nod, but inside, my heart was racing. He had recognized me? I decided to let him know that I knew who he was too. "It is brilliant so far, Ivan the Terrible."

"Ah, so I see we are on familiar terms then? Very good." He flashed me a grin, but it seemed more frightening than friendly.

Ivan played with the end of his scarf. "It is such a shame that the show won't finish though."

"Won't finish?" I questioned. He simply smiled instead of clarifying, and gestured towards one of the seats. I recognized the mayor of the city, and I frowned. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and someone jumped through the curtains.

"Mr. Mayor!" he shouted, and I knew the voice immediately. Ah. So this must have been the "something big" that kept Alfred from our date this evening.

"Mr. Mayor! I don't want to alarm you... but get out of your seat... slowly..." he insisted. The mayor looked around, then nodded and over-cautiously got out of his seat. It seemed that as soon as he was a safe distance away from it, his chair burst apart. It wasn't a large explosion, but would have been enough to seriously hurt him.

I glanced at Ivan. This had been (supposedly), his plan, was he going to do anything about it? But he still looked calm. I opened my mouth to comment but he shushed me.

"The danger isn't over yet!" Patriot declared, starting to look through the theatre. "I know you're here somewhere, Ivan. Don't hide. You and your cronies won't get away this time!"

Had his lines always been this corny or had I always been too busy being the criminal to notice?

Patriot's eyes landed on Ivan, then flickered over to me. Suddenly he looked panicked. "Iggy!" he snapped, taking a few steps towards me. "Iggy, don't look now but Ivan the Terrible is right besides you!"

Ivan eyed me in an almost predatory way and my stomach lurched. I glanced between him and Patriot, but before I could choose what move to make, he grabbed me and covered my mouth.

"So you know this guy, da? One of your friends...?" He was smirking. Patriot started running towards us, but Ivan stopped him.

"One more move and I break his neck," he hissed, stepping backwards. "It has been so good to see you, Patriot... but I'm afraid now we must part ways. _Salut_."

Patriot looked at me desperately. "Oh god, Arthur, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry... This is all my fault, I shouldn't have... oh god, stay strong... Arthur, I'll save you, I promise. I wish I could do something right now but he'll hurt you... but I promise I'll save you, I'm so sorry..."

Haha. He apologizes so much.

Ivan left the theatre, still dragging me and preventing me from speaking. As soon as we were outside, three other men, shaking, lifted me and put me in the back of a truck. What proceeded was a long, bumpy and painful drive, and when I was finally out, Ivan was there greeting me with a smile.

"Well that couldn't have gone any better, da?" he asked, enthusiastically. "I apologize for the injuries you have sustained. Now let Toris show you to your room. Before I explain anything, you should rest."

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A/N: Thanks for all the reviews again! I hope you guys liked this chapter. It gets a little more interesting here, and if all goes well, it will continue to get more interesting. I am trying to keep the scenarios a bit cliche, while also mantaining a unique twist, haha.

_Salut: _All you really need to know is that it means goodbye. But it is a tad bit complicated. In Russian it means goodbye, only a little less formal than the "_da svidanya_" most people tend to think. My dad is Russian and I've met several Russian people... and I've rarely if ever heard them use _da svidanya_. So I chose to use _salut._ This may be confusing though, because the word was originally taken from French, where it is an informal "Hello!". So very confusing, yes. But I felt it was the best choice.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ah! Sorry! I intended to get this up earlier but I had some difficulties getting it finished (aka, I have a bad not-saving habit). Aaaaand then I was out of town. Alas. My apologies for letting you down. But I finished this chapter and I really hope you like it! I took some critique into mind. It's not much longer but I hope it's a bit better than the last two. I am used to rushed writing and stories. It is a terrible habit of mine. I'm afraid I still am, but I tried to slow down a little. I did appreciate all the nice reviews though and the critique was helpful~ you people are too kind! BUT! Without further ado, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

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I awoke to the sound of small footsteps, and sat up immediately. I was in Ivan's house. Although really, it was more of an old warehouse made to be a home. The room I was in was unfinished, and smelt like plaster. The bed was, however, surprisingly nice and soft.

"O-oh! I'm s-so sorry Mr. Dark Sorcerer! I didn't didn't mean to wake you up! Please forgive me!" A short man stammered, shaking badly. I rubbed my eyes. He was standing in the doorway, clutching a small duster.

"Ah... Toris, right?" I asked, recognizing him as the bloke who'd led me to my room last night. He nodded quickly and apologized again.

I looked at the clock. The hands were around 10:00. "Don't worry about it... really. I should have woken up earlier."

"W-would you like s-s-some breakfast?" he asked. I wondered about his stutter for a moment, then smiled weakly.

"No, I'm alright, I'm not really hungry."

Toris nodded. "Mr. B-B-Braginski will see you n-now then, if you would g-get dressed..."

After Toris had left in the room, I found my clothes on a drawer and huffed. I would have to wear the same clothing as I had the other evening, which might be a tad dressy with a suit and tie. Luckily, it appeared they had been cleaned for me. Probably by one of those three blokes who were always around Russia.

When I left my room, Toris gave me a shaky smile. "This w-way." We walked through a huge room filled with dusty boxes, where we spotted a very pretty girl. Toris immediately perked up and his stutter was dropped.

"Hello Natalia!" he chirped, warmly. The girl (Natalia apparently) sent him an icy glare in return, then glanced at me.

"Is he the Dark Sorcerer?" she asked. Toris nodded, and she pushed him away. "I'll take over, Toris, I will lead him to my brother's office."

Ah? So she was Ivan's sister? I could see the resemblance. Toris left us, shooting a final look at Natalia, who led me through the old boxes to a room that must have been a corporate office. She knocked lightly on the door.

"The Dark Sorcerer is here to see you now, love," she announced, sweetly. There was a shuffling from behind the door. Hold on... had she called him "love"?

After a moment, Ivan finally said, "I will speak to him now! You may go, Natalia, da?"

"Ah, but brother-"

"You may go!" I was shocked by the fear in his voice, but didn't comment on the situation. It was best not to upset either of them.

I entered the room, which looked like a typical, well-designed office. The chairs looked comfortable and there was a potted sunflower in one of the corners. I would have gotten the impression that this was a cozy place, if Ivan wasn't trying to smile pleasantly. He looked alright, except for the knowledge that he was probably imagining small puppies being crushed or something terrible.

"Take a seat!" Ivan chirped, gesturing to a chair across the desk he was sitting at. His enthusiasm scared me, but I obeyed anyway.

As soon as I was seated, Ivan began to speak. "So you know Patriot personally, da? He is your friend?"

"I do," I answered suspiciously. "And... yes, I suppose he is my friend."

"Haha, this works out better than I could have ever hoped! You are very clever, my friend. I should have thought that idea up... getting to the enemy through their personal feelings..." He leaned forward, and I became uncomfortable. "Are you more than friends...? I have heard rumors that Patriot has a preference for... your type, da?"

"I- uh.." I must have blushed, for Ivan chuckled darkly and moved back into his own seat.

He grinned again. "Wonderful! Beautiful! You are a clever one, Dark Sorcerer."

"Arthur," I corrected him. "Just Arthur is fine. Or Mr. Kirkland would be better, really."

Ivan nodded. "Arthur. That is what he called you, da. I remember." He paused, then smirked. "I have no nickname. I am Ivan the Terrible. I have no need for a mask."

I was silent, and he began to speak again. "I have an idea, Arthur. I suppose you have a plan for what your are going to do to Patriot now that you are close to him, da?"

"Uh, errr, yes, I was going to kill him. Poison his... burger."

Ivan looked disappointed. "Ah, but that is so boring! You cannot really watch him _suffer_ that way..." The way he spoke and sounded genuinely interesting in human pain sent shivers down my spine. I managed a weak smile.

"I s-suppose you're right." I stuttered, and suddenly understood Toris's behavior.

"I am right! And my idea is much better, da!" Ivan answered confidently.

"Ah... what is your idea then?'

Ivan moved closer again. "Don't just kill him, _break his heart_. Physical pain has its positive side, but emotional pain is _beautiful_. Make him suffer. And I will help you, da? We will prolong his agony and make him pay for trying to stand up to our sort of people. We will teach all other "superhero" scum that they will never win, and to never even dare to fight us."

I didn't want to agree with him but I was in no position to disagree. I could only imagine what he would do to be if he knew how pathetic of a villain I really was.

So I nodded.

Ivan proceeded to tell me his plan. If I was afraid of him before, it didn't compare to my fear of Ivan the Terrible now. I had no idea how twisted he really was. But I couldn't exactly back out now.

When we were finished speaking, he dismissed me from the office with a few final words. "Speak to Natalia. She will help begin the first step, da?" I nodded, and began to leave, when he stopped me. "Oh, and Arthur? I will admit that I thought that you had lost your touch, da. But you have changed my mind this morning. We will do good work together."

His words made me remember something Alfred had said.

_"I mean, frankly, he hasn't been in the news since for what, three years? Hasn't pulled off a real heist for five. Dude's lost his touch."_

Haha, so is that what people thought of me? A washed-out villain who couldn't do anything well. Well, if I was really going to go through with this idea, it would change their minds quickly. And make life better for trouble-makers like myself.

I gave a half-hearted smile and left. This could work out... maybe. I might have the guts to pull this off. I wanted to prove that I hadn't _lost my touch_.

* * *

A/N: Ahaha... did you know my name is Natalia? Makes it a spot awkward to write about her. Buuuuut not too bad, haha, just sorta funny.

ALSO! Happy birthday Alfred! I feel like I wasn't patriotic enough today. But I am celebrating more tomorrow. So hopefully that makes up, haha.

As always, reviews are more than welcome. C:


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Ah! Took longer to get this chapter finished too but it's longer than the others. I'm thinking I'm going to take longer to update from here on out. I am working a bit harder to make this story better. But I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and special thanks to RainSonata for awesome reviews/critiques e.e

Also gonna change the genre because while I originally intended for it to be a more comedic story... that's not the direction it's headed in. So just switching it to general.

* * *

Step one of the plan was to be rescued.

I tried to convince Ivan that it would be perfectly acceptable if I just walked out, as I didn't want to "be rescued". However, he told me that a) it would be evidence that this whole project was a sham, and b) I had the whole "damsel in distress" thing going on for me, and that apparently would help.

"I'm not a blood damsel," I told him, crossing my arms. "Besides, how are you going to let Alf- how are you going to let Patriot rescue me without seeming obvious?" I was trying not to tell Ivan about Alfred's name. It just didn't seem like the right thing to do. Not that any of this was particularly noble and honorable.

Ivan twirled the end of his scarf, and shrugged. "I know how to play that game. Even if I was trying my hardest, I will admit that Patriot would probably succeed in rescuing you anyway, eventually." He paused thoughtfully. "If I hadn't killed you already. But I tend to kill my victims slowly and painfully so you could have been lucky, da?"

The way he was so casual with such subjects sent shivers down my spine, and I thought _"Lucky? Lucky to be tortured?"_ But Ivan interrupted my thoughts and continued speaking.

"He already tried once last night. I managed to stop him, but he was alone then. He might bring friends next time. But, regardless of _how_ he tries to rescue you, we will make sure he thinks he is successful, da." Ivan chuckled.

Friends? I knew he occasionally did work with other superheroes... were those his "friends"?

It wasn't long after that conversation that Natalia led me into a new room, underneath the warehouse. This was different than the other rooms. It had an odor similar to decomposing vegetables, and everything was damp. Everything was dark save for a small, dim lamp sitting on a crate. The walls were made of stone bricks, stained in some places with a rusty brown something I could only guess, but I didn't want confirmed. Torturing devices and weapons lined one of the walls; there was a whole shelf full of them, even including Ivan's trademark rusty pipes.

I shuddered. Thank God I wasn't actually one of his victims.

Natalia put steel cuffs around my wrists and ankles, each with only about three feet of chain attaching them to the wall. She lifted my chin, and I could feel long manicured nails digging into my skin.

"Now you will be a good boy, okay? If you listen to my brother, things work out best for all of us." She glanced over her shoulder, and continued. "Don't scream when he comes to beat you. He likes the screaming and it will only make him hit you harder."

_Beat me?_ My mind began to race. Natalia smiled a little too sweetly, and left the room. Ivan was going to beat me? But I was helping him! I had agreed to do what he-

_"Psssssst," _I heard, coming from the left of me. I turned but could see no one there.

_"Psssssssssst!_" The voice repeated, and I could feel a jab to my side.

I frowned. "I hear you but... oh! Are you the Vanishing Boy?" It dawned on me suddenly, why Natalia had said those things. She'd known someone else was in here (and I was apparently gullible). The Vanishing Boy, who must be one of Alfred's friends. A relatively unknown superhero, but he'd actually done a lot of work to improve the city. Just... he was usually invisible so he didn't get a lot of credit for it. To be honest, I wouldn't have known who he was if he hadn't prevented me from commiting crimes a few times.

"Ah! You know who I am!" exclaimed the voice, excitedly. "Patriot sent me here to help you! He tried to get in earlier but got caught, and was worried that if he tried too hard they'd kill you! So he apologizes!"

The voice was still hardly above a whisper, so I matched its hushed tone.

"He doesn't need to apologize. I'm just... relieved that he would help me," I told Vanishing Boy, who began to reappear. I breathed a sigh of relief when it was apparent that his clothing could turn invisible with him. He didn't have a suit of any sort, just a red hoodie and some trousers.

"I'm Matthew Williams," he told me, holding out his hand. I shook it, or tried to, but the chains made it difficult.

"Aha... sorry, I brought a chain breaker..." Matthew reached inside of his hoodie, and lifted out a large metal tool. He began to break the links. "So Patriot told me that you two were dating...?" he asked, and I turned pink.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't call it... dating; we've only gone out once," I pointed out, crossing my arms as soon as they were free.

Matthew chuckled, and I studied his face. He looked a lot like Alfred, save for slightly wavy and longer hair (one curly strand stuck out in an odd way), somewhat paler skin, and differently colored eyes. Out of curiosity, I asked him about their similar appearances.

"Oh, yes! We're brothers!" he told me, nodding. "He changed his last name when he became a hero though, said it was too obvious if we both had the same one. I don't think that makes complete sense... but, it works." Matthew smiled warmly, then gave me an odd look. "You know, you're awfully familiar yourself... oh my god!"

His expression fell and it became obvious that Matthew was much more clever and observant than his brother. He immediately dropped the tool and stood back.

"You're the... you're the Dark Sorcerer!" Matthew exclaimed, pointing. He quickly overcame his initial shock and returned closer again. "Don't you dare curse me, because if you do, you'll have no way out of this place. As it is I might leave you to your fate anyway. Does Alfred know?"

I shook my head. "As if I would curse you... and no, he doesn't know." At this, Matthew glared at me, obviously upset and concerned for Alfred.

"So you're lying to him?"

"No. Well yes, I am. But it's for his own good. Besides... he wouldn't... like me, if he knew who I was." I looked at the ground.

Matthew shook his head. "For his own good? That doesn't even make sense. And you're own of them. You can't just want Alfred to like you; you must have some ulterior motive. Plus, why didn't Ivan recognize you? I mean, Alfred's a brick sometimes, I get that. But from what I've seen Ivan knows all the other shady characters pretty well. And he works with them a lot. So why did-"

I interrupted him. "I get it, I get it. You have millions of thoughts running in your head. No need to blurt them all out."

"Explain yourself then. I won't let you go until I'm satisfied."

I sighed. "Fine. You're going to have to believe me, that I want nothing more to do with Alfred. It was never my intention to have a relationship with him. For reasons I don't understand, his view is completely opposite and it's hard to avoid him. As for Ivan, I never agreed to go with him; he really did kidnap me."

"But Ivan doesn't recognize you?" Matthew was not happy with my answer yet.

"He recognizes me," I replied. "He recognized me as the Dark Sorcerer before he figured out I knew Alfred."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "So you're working with him?"

"No! No!" I insisted, and quickly tried to come up with a story. "I mean, he suggested it... but why do you think I'm here, locked up? I didn't agree to it. Ivan is a terrible person."

"And you're not? If I were you, I'd jump up at a chance like that. Getting to work with the best in the business, especially someone with your poor reputation." Matthew crossed his arms, and pushed his glasses further on his face (these ones actually had lenses in them, and I figured he must actually need them).

I shook my head and gritted my teeth, frustrated. "Well, truth be told, I do actually have morals, contrary to popular belief. You haven't seen me kill anyone lately, have you? I still have my powers. I just haven't used them."

I let him think about this, but Matthew wasn't easy to convince. I decided to add more to my story. If this didn't work, nothing would.

"And," I swallowed and looked away, "I may be developing feelings for Alfred. I.. don't like to admit it, but I don't think I could hurt him if I wanted to."

Success finally. Matthew looked up, a little shocked. "Really? You mean, you like him?"

"Yes, I do. It's nothing strong, I assure you, but... he's so cheerful, it's hard not to."

"Stupidly cheerful," Matthew chuckled. He nodded; his curl bounced as his head moved. "Okay. I believe you, I guess. Still suspicious, so I'm gonna keep an eye on you. But you don't seem like the kind of person who could do a lot of harm anyway." He began to finish clipping my chains.

I stretched my limbs, and furrowed my eyebrows. "You're not going to tell him... are you?" I asked. Matthew looked at me seriously, and took a step back.

"No. I won't tell him. That's your responsibility. But you are going to tell him, and you'll tell him soon." He paused for effect. "If you really do like him, you won't let him find out on his own. That wouldn't be good for you."

I glanced away, uncomfortably. I wanted to protest, but it wouldn't have been in my favor. "Very well," I finally sighed. "I will tell him who I am."

"Promise?"

"Promise." It was a lie, I wouldn't be telling Alfred who I was for quite some time. But Matthew didn't have to know that right now...

Matthew stood up, then helped me up as well. He glanced around the room.

"Okay, here's the deal. I'm going to go distract some of Ivan's gang. I've mastered the art of escape (I'm usually invisible, after all), so don't worry about me. Alfred's going to meet you right around the corner. He's hiding, I think, but he'll probably come out as soon as he sees you. Be quick, and good luck!"

I nodded and thanked him. He pulled out some keys (I reasoned that he must have stolen them from Natalia while she was still in the room), and unlocked the door. After poking his head out, he waved for me, and we both exited in silence. We both ran up the basement stairs, however, after that he headed off in a different direction. He activated his power, and began to fade out of view.

Someone touched my shoulder as soon as he'd disappeared. I turned around, startled. It was Alfred, however, so I had no reason for real concern. He was in his red, white , and blue spandex suit; his scarlet cape was hanging off of his shoulders. I never really liked his cape. It 's apart of the traditional "superhero look", I understand, but it made him look too cut off from the rest of the world. Almost like he's better than everyone else, but I digress.

The first thing Alfred did, was give me a big hug, and apologize again.

"I'm so sorry I let him get you, Arthur," he told me. "But I was too afraid he'd hurt you if I tried to stop him right then... this is all my fault. I skipped out on the date, which was why you went to the play alone in the first place, and probably why Ivan sat by you too... I didn't stop Ivan well enough, and, well, even the fact that you know who I am caused this." He continued to blubber and I listened to him.

Finally, I asked him, "Are we going to leave this place?"

Alfred nodded, and grinned. "I have a really awesome plan!" he announced, brightly. "We're going to go through the front door!"

"The front door...?" I questioned.

"Uh-huh! The front door! It's exactly what Ivan _doesn't _expect! He's probably got most of his gang watching all the sneaky exits. Like windows and stuff. Even so, I got some friends to help."

"Do you mean Matthew?"

Alfred took my hand and began to drag me through the building, while we were still talking. "Yeah, Matthew, but more people too. Like the whole Bad Touch Trio! They're distracting everyone by making a commotion in some of the other exits. Then, when you're safe, I'll give a signal and they'll all leave!"

"That makes sense," I decided, with a light shrug. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it didn't matter if he just waltzed in, Ivan would of let him 'save' me. Well, that, and, I was supposed to be keeping it a secret from him.

Alfred stayed ahead of me the whole escape, being overly paranoid and looking out for any traps. His caution slowed us down considerably, but it was also amusing. I suppose I was even a bit flattered that he apparently cared so much for my well-being.

I smiled faintly. "You really don't have to be so careful, you know, I'm alright."

"Yeah, but you don't even have any powers. You're just a civilian."

"Doesn't mean I'm weak," I quickly retorted.

"Well no, but..." Alfred twisted his mouth and changed the subject. "That's what I really don't like about Ivan though. He breaks all the rules. I mean, he bothers civilians more than he has to. And he _enjoys_ being cruel."

I nodded in agreement, simply to dismiss him, and sighed deeply as we finally left Ivan's hideout. Alfred remarked he was surprised that it was so easy to escape, but I shrugged. I was becoming more and more irritated at having to be so silent and hide so much.

Alfred must have noticed how displeased I was, because he frowned deeply and asked, "Are you still upset because I called you weak? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that... I just meant-"

"No, I understand. It's alright," I told him, trying to smile. "Don't worry about it."

He was still uncomfortable, and apparently picked up on how fake my smile was. For someone so ignorant and usually dim, I really was surprised by how perceptive he could be.

"No, I really mean it, you're not weak. You just... don't have powers like most of my friends do, and I really want to protect you."

I felt something tighten in my stomach as he said those words. I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad feeling. He really wanted to protect me.

Neither of us spoke. Instead, we sat there, on a cement curb, in front of Ivan's hideout. It was was probably around noon, as the sun was high above us. We were facing a street in a shady part of town; all the buildings were patched up, abandoned, and painted with graffiti. We were under a tree, but it was twisted and obviously malnourished.

Not very romantic, but apparently good enough for Alfred, who put his arm around around my shoulders and scooted closer. He had intended for it to be a discreet move, but I'd caught it pretty easily.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

He grinned at me warmly, and innocently replied, "Nothing."

We both were silent again, but not for quite as long. I hung my head and smiled. "Thank you," I said.

"For what?"

"For wanting to protect me, I suppose."

He chuckled lightly. "Think nothing of it! I'm a hero! It's what I do! But you're welcome."

Things were awkward for a moment, so I commented, "You should probably go make that signal? Let your friends know it's time for them to leave?"

"Probably," Alfred replied, standing up. I stood up as well, and he began to walk off. Suddenly he stopped, and turned on his heel to face me.

"Oh, and one more thing, Iggy."

I tried to tell him not to call me that, but I was interrupted with a brief kiss on the lips. Alfred grinned, and ran off without a word. I blushed darkly and got that tight feeling in my stomach again, which I concluded was a good feeling.

Maybe I didn't want to hurt Alfred.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading this chapter! I really hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter, Arthur meets the Bad Touch Trio! Which should be fun. I'm sure you can guess who they are. xD


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